Budget entertainment ideas for Louisville-area college students

Times are tough and money is tight. If you didn't already know that then welcome out from under your rock. Having only recently declared the official end to the recession, most are still feeling the pinch. With tuition costs on the rise college students are trimming the budget as much as anyone. But how do you trim the budget without cutting out the fun? The goods news is you don't have to become a hermit or go on the Ramen noodle diet to save some dough. With these tips and tricks you can still go out and have a budget friendly blast.

Skip the cover: The bottom line is why would you pay money up front just to walk in the door when there are literally dozens and dozens of places to go in Louisville that will let you in for free? Not to mention, places with cover charges generally charge more for their drinks.

Skip the alcohol: A night out with friends spent listening to some good live music and drinking water or soft drinks is much more budget friendly than the same night drinking $4.25/each mixed drinks all night. The Highlands Taproom on Bardstown Road features live music plus karaoke almost every night of the week with NO cover charge. Check them out online at http://highlandstaproom.com.

Two Words: Daily Special: Most establishments in Louisville either have a Happy Hour, a daily special or both. During these times you can food and drinks at discounts up to 50% or more. To find local specials to go http://velocityweekly.com and check out the Louisville Metromix.

Bring the party home: If no one has the money to go out, why not keep the party at home? Invite over some friends and have everyone pitch in a couple dollars each. Go to Little Caesars and grab some $5 Hot and Ready pizzas and head to liquor store instead of forking over the marked up prices that bars charge for drinks.

Gift Card Exchange: Right after the holidays many find themselves with a wallet full of gift cards they will never use. Instead of letting them depreciate exchange them for cash or a card that you really want. There are several site on the web that allow you to either exchange or sell you gift cards such as http://giftcardrescue.com, http://ebay.com and http://amazon.com.

Hopefully these tips and tricks have opened your eyes to some new ways to trim your budget without cutting out your social life. So get out there, have fun, be safe and save some money.

Enjoy this article? Receive email alerts when new articles are published buy clicking the subscribe button at the top of the page.

Share this article

Comments

Melody is a student at U of L that knows a thing or two about the ups and downs of college life. From juggling school, work and busy personal life to stretching a dollar on a student budget, Melody has been there done that and has to stories to prove it. To contact Melody email her at melody.cravens@gmail.com.